... Except the Drow far predate D&D, having their origins as a Scottish fairytale.
I know, I know! They are *checks his book about Celtic Mythology* named Sidhe. And the God of Knowledge of the Celtic mythology was also named Oghma, what a coincidence, right?
... Except the Drow far predate D&D, having their origins as a Scottish fairytale.
I know, I know! They are *checks his book about Celtic Mythology* named Sidhe. And the God of Knowledge of the Celtic mythology was also named Oghma, what a coincidence, right?
Though from an outside viewpoint, someone who's, say, only played bg and know just a little lore, drow are a not-so-subtle way to deal with racism without actually having to deal with racism. There's not really any point in pointing fingers now though, is there?
...How did this thread turn into genetics and racism? Seriously?
The Drow have black skin because they were a tribe of people (the Ilythiiri) that were following Araushnee (Lolth). Long story short, Corellon Larethian (the Creator of the Elves) cursed them with dark skin, mostly red eyes and white hair and Light Blindness, making them retreat underground into the Underdark. Lolth gave them special powers to make up for the curse.
Drow comes from dhaerow (elven for traitors) for following Lolth. He marked them so anyone looking at them, especially elves, would know immediately what they are.
That's it. Genetics played no role in it. And I guess that the color of their skin was symbolic. White vs Black, Light vs Darkness, Blue vs Red.
Moon Elves (the most common and "default" subrace of elves) have pale white skin, usually blue eyes and usually black or blue hair. Drow are their mirror opposite: obsidian black skin (not tanned), crimson red eyes (most common), and snowy white hair.
About the question, why male drow are better arcane casters, it's quite simple. Because they cannot be divine casters. At least not of Lolth. Also arcane magic is frowned upon by females. Considering it something that "peasants" do instead of noble female drow, which are in the majority, Clerics of Lolth.
Basically, male drow focus on arcane magic and become experts on it because it's their way of saying "hey, I'm useful too, look at my awesome magic" in a matriarchal and heavily religious society.
There's no "arcane gene" as far as I'm aware in lore. The closest thing, are Drow Sorcerers. Those born with the gift of arcane magic for some reason or another.
They have been retconned to be, well, not so. Essentially, the elves with dark skin had a goddess married to Corellon Larethian named Araushnee. But she betrayed him and turned evil. When she did, most, not all, of the dark-skinned elves followed their goddess and away from the Seldarine (as did some light-skinned elves). This was enough of them to eventually make dark-skinned elves vanishingly rare/non-existent on the surface, and light-skinned elves the same in the Underdark.
In other words, Dark-skinned, light haired elves didn't mutate to become that way- they have always existed. At least in the retcon.
Knowing that human understanding of the earth and its vicinity decreases logarithmically as time progresses and that in the meantime the universe as a whole septuples its complexity roughly every sothic cycle, I must say that I am amazed that whoever invented the drow concept did not include photosynthesis as a racial trait.
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Seriously, I suggest you do some actual research instead of accusing someone of dwelling on sinistries without any factual basis.
The Drow have black skin because they were a tribe of people (the Ilythiiri) that were following Araushnee (Lolth).
Long story short, Corellon Larethian (the Creator of the Elves) cursed them with dark skin, mostly red eyes and white hair and Light Blindness, making them retreat underground into the Underdark.
Lolth gave them special powers to make up for the curse.
Drow comes from dhaerow (elven for traitors) for following Lolth. He marked them so anyone looking at them, especially elves, would know immediately what they are.
That's it. Genetics played no role in it.
And I guess that the color of their skin was symbolic. White vs Black, Light vs Darkness, Blue vs Red.
Moon Elves (the most common and "default" subrace of elves) have pale white skin, usually blue eyes and usually black or blue hair.
Drow are their mirror opposite: obsidian black skin (not tanned), crimson red eyes (most common), and snowy white hair.
About the question, why male drow are better arcane casters, it's quite simple. Because they cannot be divine casters. At least not of Lolth.
Also arcane magic is frowned upon by females. Considering it something that "peasants" do instead of noble female drow, which are in the majority, Clerics of Lolth.
Basically, male drow focus on arcane magic and become experts on it because it's their way of saying "hey, I'm useful too, look at my awesome magic" in a matriarchal and heavily religious society.
There's no "arcane gene" as far as I'm aware in lore. The closest thing, are Drow Sorcerers. Those born with the gift of arcane magic for some reason or another.
In other words, Dark-skinned, light haired elves didn't mutate to become that way- they have always existed. At least in the retcon.